Sov -- Wr - = pd i ¥ 3 HE WINNETKA TALK A Weekly News-Magazine for Winnetka VOL. XV, NO. 46 WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, JANUARY 22, 1927 PRICE FIVE CENTS MAY GET REDUCED TAX RATE IN REVALUATION Trustee Strong Tells Council Nor- mal Valuation Increase Enough to Meet Village Needs Trustee Walter A. Strong, of the fi- nance committee of the Village council, made a report to that body Tuesday evening on the quadrennial re-assess- ment. He made clear the point that the only interest in which the Village of Winnetka is concerned, is in that of assisting the township assessor in ar- riving at a fair and equalized assess- ment of property, for the purpose of eliminating inequalities, due to error during the past four years, or unjusti- fied reductions granted by the board of review. He called attention to the fact that inasmuch as the township assessor is a part-time official and cannot, single- handed, make any pretense of a scien- tific or accurate revaluation, it has been the practice for many years of taxing bodies of the township to contribute assistance. May Get Reduction It was stated by Trustee Strong that the normal increase in the assessed val- uation of Winnetka resulting from new "building construction and the adjust- ment of land values in certain zones, such as property which was formerly farm land or acreage and which is be- ing subdivided and improved, will be sufficient to meet the needs of the vil- lage government proper and might pos- sibly permit a decrease in the tax rate for municipal purposes. Trustee Strong also stated that the council could make no statement for the other taxing bodies of Winnetka, such as the Park board and the Board of Education. Rate on Decline It was further brought out that, whereas the total tax rate for Winnetka for all purposes has shown an increase up to and including last year, the rate for Village purposes has declined from $2.05 per $100 of valuation in 1922 to $1.98 last year. Basil Sydney Appears Last Time Tonight in "Henry IV" The final performance of the North Shore Theater guild's production of Shakespeare's comedy, "Henry IV," - will take place tonight in the Jane Kuppenheimer Memorial hall, Skokie school. Basil Sydney, who is the first professional actor of renown to appear with the guild supported by a non-pro- fessional cast, is taking the part of Prince Hal. Supporting Mr. Sydney are a number of prominent actors who have ap- peared in other plays produced by the guild. The cast includes Samuel Otis, William Boyden, Perry Smith, Waldo Allen, and Wesley Brown. Other ac- tors come from Wilmette and Evans- ton. REPAVEMENT HEARING The Village council has called an in- formal public hearing for February 1, at 8 o'clock, at the Village hall, to con- sider the suggestion of the Village of Glencoe that Green Bay road and Tower road be repaved to carry through traffic. WALTONIANS TO DINE Members of Winnetka Chapter to Hold Annual Fellowship Dinner and Election January 28 Winnetka Chapter of Izaak Walton league will hold its annual fellowship dinner at Community House, Friday, January 28. This dinner has, in the past, proven the best appreciated of the chapter's activities, as it gives an opportunity to the out-of-doors men to exchange their experiences of the year. At this dinner a notary public will be on hand to take affidavits when demanded, it is said. During the dinner such red-blooded he-men, as the mountaineer, chief ranger, meat hunter, adventurer, chief spigoteer, complete angler, ancient mariner and feather chaser will add new legends to the chapter's history. The annual meeting will be called 'after the dinner and the following gen- tlement will be voted on to guide the chapter's activities during the coming year: President--Alfred E. McCordic. Vice-president--Frederick E. Clerk. Secretary--Perry Buchanan. Treasurer--John C. Cobb, Jr. Directors--E. A. Rummler, F. A. De- Peyster, Dr. C. O. Schneider. Delegates--The President, Dr. J. O. Ely, Godfrey Atkins, and William B. Dale. Psychologist to Address Winnetka P.T. A. Divisions Miss Frances Dummer, Winnetka child psychologist, will be the speaker at two Hubbard Woods Parent- Teach- er association meetings next week. On Tuesday, January 25, she will address the members of the three fifth grades of the Hubbard Woods school. The meeting will begin promptly at 3:30 and her subject will be "The In- dependent Age." Mrs. Hugo Sonnen- schein, Mrs. Clarence Lineberger, and Mrs. George I. Friestedt, grade chair- men will act as hostesses. The second meeting will be held at 3:30 Thursday, January 27, at which time Miss Dummer will speak on "The Presentation of Problems," before the first grade mothers. Mrs. Pfeiffer, Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Weston will serve tea immediately following the meeting. Kenilworth Will Share Winnetka's Health Officer The Winnetka Village council Tues- dav evening approved the recommend- ation of the health commission, of which Mrs. B. F. Langworthy is chair- man, that an arrangement be made with the Village of Kenilworth for the appointment of Dr. Howard A. Orvis, health officer of Winnetka, as health officer of Kenilworth, thus unifying this work in the two communities. Kenilworth would pay to Winnetka ifs pro rata share of the salary, trans- portation and office expenses for the health officer, based on population of the two villages. This arrangement was approved by the Kenilworth Village board at its meeting last week. Special Committee to Work Out Essex Road Traffic Issue The petition of the New Trier Town- ship High school board for the vaca- tion of that part of Essex road east of the school plant was denied by the Winnetka Village council Tuesday evening, and the matter placed in the hands of the Street, Drainage and Forestry committee of the council New Trier High school authorities and a committee from the Indian Hill Im- provement association to work out some satisfactory method of traffic control over that thoroughfare. Frederick E. Clerk, superintendent of New Trier High school, addressed the council Tuesday explaining the reason for the necessity of safeguard- ing Essex road traffic. It is because of the passing of students back and forth between the new gymnasium on the west side of that street and the athletic field which will be located on the east side of Essex road. The Indian Hill Improvement asso- ciation was represented by C. T. Davis, who spoke in opposition to the pro- posed vacation of the street, but ex- pressed the willingness of the asso- ciation to appoint a committee to con- fer with the high school authorities and the village. Local Leaders to Attend Session of Regional Planners The fourth annual dinner of the Chi- cago Regional Planning association, with which all the villages in New Trier are affiliated, will be held Wed- nesday, January 26, in the ball room of the LaSalle hotel. The dinner will be the occasion of the annual election of officers, reports of officers, amend- ments to by-laws and such new busi- ness as may be brought to the atten- tion of the organization. Speakers at the dinner will be Dwight H. Perkins, honorary presi- dent, and Robert Kingery, secretary of the association. North Shore feaders who are con- nected with the planning association in an official capacity include B. F. Af- fleck of Winnetka, treasurer; Robert Kingery, Winnetka, secretary, and the following directors : Samuel A. Greeley, John S. Miller, L.. H. G. Bouscaren, Eugene A. Rumm- ler, and Mrs Harold Ickes, of Win- netka; Myron H. West and. J. G. Wray, of Wilmette ,and Herbert E. Fleming of Glencoe. W. W. DeBerard, Wilmette Village trustee, is consulting engineer for the association. Village Will Appoint Commission on Zoning An ordinance providing for the ap- pointment of members of the Board of Appeals as a special Zoning com- mission, was introduced at the regular meeting of the Village council Tues- day evening, and will come up for passage at the next meeting of the council. The commission will consider petitions for re-zoning, and following the passage of the ordinance, expects to arrange public hearings on several petitions now pending. ASK CITIZENS TO VOTE ON NEW SCHOOL SITE Election Called by School Board for Saturday, Jan. 29; Would Purchase Skokie Tract A special election will be held by the Board of Education at the Hubbard Woods school Saturday, January 29, from 1 to 6 p. m. for the purpose of authorizing the Board of Education to purchase a new school site. The ne- cessity for buying the new school site at the present time is explained by Superintendent Washburne as follows : "Winnetka is growing steadily and rapidly. The school enrollment has in- creased since 1916 from 535 children to 1,650 children. There has not beem the slightest indication of any decrease in the rate of growth. The village will not have reached saturation, as far as available building space is concerned, even with the present zoning laws and boundaries, until the population reaches about 20,000 as against the present 10,500, although the rate of increase in growth should drop off when the vil- lage population reaches 15000 or 16,000 Survey Show Needs "Careful figures have been compiled of the probable growth of the village school building needs during the next five vears. These are based upon de- tailed statistics for the past ten years and upon an examination of insurance maps showing what lots have been built upon and what lots are still avail- able for building purposes. Calculations of the Illinois Bell Telephone Company have also been consulted. "As a result of these studies, it is evident that within five vears a new building will be needed in the north- west part of the village. "It is-in the northwest part of the village that growth is most rapid. The school enrollment in the Hubbard Woods district increased last year half again as rapidly as did the enrollment for the village as a whole. The recent defeat of the Park board in its plan to condemn for park purpses the Skokie land immediately west of the end of Tower road opens up this land for settlement. Add to Hubbard Woods School "With the four rooms that are to be built on the Hubbard Woods school this spring and summer, that building will have reached its ultimate capacity. It cannot be enlarged further with the ground available. Some children go- ing to the Hubbard Woods School now have to walk from a mile to a mile and a half from the west end of Scott, As- bury, and Tower road--a walk that is too far for kindergarten, first and sec- ond grade children. "Tt is therefore proposed to obtain a site immediately west of Grove street. which now marks the western limit of Tower road. This land is the nearest land that can be bought on an acreage basis. It is well located from the standpoint of the future growth of the village, the boundaries of which are half a mile further west. "The Board of Education has se- cured an option on a three and one- half acre site, extending due west from (Continued on page 8) 4 2] ARE, PERS